Man dead in officer-involved shooting
UPDATE (2 P.M.) - The El Centro Police Department sent out a press release regarding the shooting.
On Thursday around 6 a.m., El Centro police officers responded to a robbery at a business in the area of South Imperial Avenue and Ocotillo Drive.
El Centro police said it was reported the suspect left the business with stolen property.
Officers located the suspect fleeing westbound on Ocotillo Drive and saw he was carrying a brick in his hand.
El Centro police said officers contacted the suspect in the area of 19th Street and Ocotillo Drive.
Officers then told the suspect to stop and drop the brick but failed to comply.
The suspect turned toward the officers and attempted to assault one of them with a brick, prompting an officer-involved shooting.
El Centro police said the suspect was struck by gunfire, stopping the assault on the officer.
Officers provided medical aid for the suspect and then was taken to El Centro Regional Medical Center.
El Centro police said the suspect did not survive and was identified as a 31-year-old man of El Centro.
The DOJ’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team is conducting the investigation and will independently review this officer-involved shooting.
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - One man was killed Thursday after an officer-involved shooting in El Centro.
The shooting happened on 19th Street and Ocotillo Drive around 6 a.m.
Ocotillo Drive was closed as of Thursday afternoon.
Police also had yellow tape around the crime scene.
We spoke to some residents who live in the area who described what they saw.
"We noticed that there was a lot of police presence down the street on 19th and I walked back in to tell my wife that there was something going on and that they had blocked the street. And right after that my niece messaged us and called and asked what was going on because someone had already messaged that they were blocking the streets. All she knew is that someone was shot but that is all that she knew as far as once we spoke with her," stated Jesus Armando Mendoza, El Centro resident.
We reached out to the City of El Centro to ask what led to the shooting but we have not heard back.
Police have also not identified the man shot and killed.
